A solid-state LIDAR transmitter includes a laser array comprising first and second laser pixels that each generate first and second sub-aperture beams. A first microlens focuses first and second sub-aperture beams generated by the first laser pixel and focuses first and second sub-aperture beams generated by the second laser pixel. A second microlens directs the first and second sub-aperture beams generated by the first pixel such that they overlap at a plane. A lens projects the first sub-aperture beam generated by the first laser pixel and the first sub-aperture beam generated by the second laser pixel with a different angle in the far field in order to achieve a desired spatial resolution of the LIDAR system.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A solid-state Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) transmitter comprising: a) a first transmit optical system comprising a first laser array and a first microlens array, a relative position of the first laser array and the first microlens array of the first transmit optical system configured to project a first plurality of optical beams generated by the first laser array to form a plurality of first pixel spots comprising a first spot size and a first pixel pitch at a target distance, thereby defining a first transmit optical system spatial resolution; and b) a second transmit optical system comprising a second laser array and a second microlens array, a relative position of the second laser array and the second microlens array of the second transmit optical system configured to project a second plurality of optical beams generated by the second laser array to form a plurality of second pixel spots comprising a second spot size and a second pixel pitch at the target distance, wherein the first transmit optical system and the second transmit optical system are positioned such that a total field-of-view generated by the first transmit optical system is offset by less than one pixel field-of-view from a total field-of-view generated by the second transmit optical system such that the plurality of first pixel spots is interleaved with the plurality of second pixel spots at the target range and wherein the first spot size and the second spot size are both smaller than a pixel pitch of the first transmit optical system so as to produce two separated pixel spots within a single pixel pitch of the first transmit optical system at the target distance such that a spatial resolution of the solid state LIDAR transmitter is greater than the first transmit optical system spatial resolution.
2. The solid-state LIDAR transmitter of claim 1 wherein the first laser array of the first transmit optical system and the second laser array of the second transmit optical system emit light at the same wavelength.
3. The solid-state LIDAR transmitter of claim 1 wherein the first laser array of the first transmit optical system and the second laser array of the second transmit optical system emit light at different wavelengths.
4. The solid-state LIDAR transmitter of claim 1 wherein the first pixel spots and the second pixel spots are the same size.
5. The solid-state LIDAR transmitter of claim 1 wherein the first pixel spots and the second pixel spots are different sizes.
6. The solid-state LIDAR transmitter of claim 1 wherein a pitch of the first microlens array is the same as a pitch of the first laser array.
7. The solid-state LIDAR transmitter of claim 1 wherein a pitch of the first microlens array is different from a pitch of the first laser array.
8. The solid-state LIDAR transmitter of claim 1 wherein the first transmit optical system further comprises a second microlens positioned between the first laser array and the first microlens array in an optical path of the first plurality of optical beams generated by the first laser array.
9. The solid-state LIDAR transmitter of claim 8 wherein a pitch of the second microlens is equal to a pitch of a sub-aperture array in the first laser array.
10. The solid-state LIDAR transmitter of claim 8 wherein the second microlens is on the same substrate as the first microlens array.
11. The solid-state LIDAR transmitter of claim 1 wherein the second transmit optical system further comprises a second microlens positioned between the second laser array and the second microlens array in an optical path of the second plurality of optical beams generated by the second laser array.
12. The solid-state LIDAR transmitter of claim 11 wherein a pitch of the second microlens is equal to a pitch of a sub-aperture array in the second laser array.
13. The solid-state LIDAR transmitter of claim 11 wherein the second microlens is on the same substrate as the second microlens array.
14. The solid-state LIDAR transmitter of claim 1 wherein the spatial resolution of the solid state LIDAR transmitter is twice the first transmit optical system spatial resolution.
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July 29, 2020
February 11, 2025
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